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April 2003
Finance, Legal, Media, Police And so another month brings another attempted lawsuit against Castelan. The beleaguered company continues to fend off a number of court actions against it and its personnel, whilst the beginnings of a recession hover nearby and the city descends further into the anarchy that is an offshoot of the continuing gang war. The key question is how much longer they can remain in their present state before the financial and political repercussions force them either to fold or take drastic action to remedy the situation? Bureaucracy, High Society, Industry, Media, Politics With the forthcoming opening of the Ceramica Project, city industrialists have begun to question the validity of celebrating the death of an industry within the city. The project has been dogged with controversy since the start, with complaints about the design being too radical, the choice of location (Burslem is not the city centre, and thus will lose potential passing trade from visitors) and most of all the amount of money that its cost. So far all that the project seems to have succeeded in doing is bankrupting two construction companies and drawing on the city’s, already diminished, funding. Will it be a success? That remains to be seen, but the signs aren’t good that it will ever pay back its considerable deficit. High Society, Industry, Media, Politics, Street Despite the controversy surrounding its funding, a lavish gala is planned for the opening of the Ceramica exhibition in Burslem. Dignitaries from local politics and industry, as well as a number of local celebrities are set to attend the party to be held at the beginning of next month. However, concerns have been raised about the manner in which tickets were distributed after the recent terrorist troubles in the city; for fear that the event will present a legitimate target for terror groups. Of particular concern are the remnants of G8 Suppress thought to be active in the city, especially given their recent failed attempt to rescue their leader Steven Thomas. Thomas was killed in the action when Castelan officers successfully prevented his rescue. Bureaucracy, Finance, Health, Industry, Legal, Media, Politics, Transport Redevelopment of the Chesterton area is once again on the cards after a survey of existing properties in the town found that over half had some form of major structural / services problem that prevented habitation. Funds are currently being sought from local industry, as instead of the current low urban sprawl, the new proposals will centre on a number of higher density courtyard areas, allowing for expansion of the local business park. In turn it is hoped that this expansion will create jobs in the area and thus lessen the need for council money. However, one problem that remains is the proposal to have parts of the town listed as having “Historical Significance”, and thus blocking any future planning proposals. Church, Media, Police, Street, University Demonstrations are being planned by local religious leaders in protest at the continuing war in Iraq. Leaders from both the Anglican and Catholic Church have approached local Muslim leaders in a gesture of solidarity. This marks the first time since the death of Nicholas Raymond that politics and religion have clashed in the city. The demonstrations are set to take place in the city centre on each Saturday during the conflict. Castelan have stated that they will be increasing their presence on the streets at such times due to fears that some troublemakers would use the demonstrations as an excuse for violence. Bureaucracy, Legal, Politics The race has begun for votes in the local election. Interestingly, Bowden is currently out of the frame, with many voters sceptical of his one-note stance after the problems experienced at the last election. Couple this with funding for the other two candidates from GAOM, and Bowden has a serious struggle if he wishes to win the hearts and minds of the local populace. Elsewhere in the election, local legal firms are being asked to validate the voting procedure to prevent vote tampering after claims that previous papers have been difficult to understand. The new system uses electronic touch pads to automatically register the votes, whilst a secondary printed copy is produced for hand counting validation at a central office. Bureaucracy, Legal, Occult, Politics Why change the method of voting in the area? Some have speculated that the newly proposed method developed by a high profile Electronics Company in the area may be a means of fixing the vote, although independent analysts of the scheme are keen to point out that numerous safe guards have been implemented to prevent such an occurrence. This has done little to sway the fears of conspiracy theorists, who point to similar changes in the manner in which the US elections were won (the infamous “Butterfly Ballot” of Florida). All this is a moot point however, as the new scheme as yet to be approved for use in any type of voting procedure. Finance, Industry, Politics, Transport Work has finished on the repairs required to the structural steelwork within the Phoenix Project. The contract, which was successfully completed ahead of time by GAOM, has led to the reopening of the tower to residents and businesses alike. In related news, GAOM have also taken possession of a number of floors within the most affected tower for the planned relocation of their offices from Trentham. The news of the relocation has been greeted with relief by members of the business community, who have taken it as indication of the companies desire to stay within the city and continue to provide employment for a large proportion of the population. Media, Police, Street, Underworld Castelan have announced the arrest of the journalist Susan Willis following a county wide man-hunt. Ms. Willis is being questioned in relation to the murder of twelve members of staff at the offices of the Evening Sentinel, although lawyers for the plaintiff are keen to point out that as of yet no evidence has been produced that would support such a claim. The arrest marks the end of two months investigation into the disappearance of Willis, and questions are now being raised as to how an ordinary member of the public was able to avoid detection by one of the premier law enforcement agencies in the country. Health, Legal, Media, Police So what exactly is Susan Willis guilty of? Whilst Castelan are having difficulty in finding evidence of her involvement in the murder of twelve people at the offices of the Evening Sentinel (and furthermore, video surveillance shows that she was not present on the property at the time, although this is now being analysed by technicians to see whether the footage has been faked), she appears to have been present at the destruction of a supermarket last month. The property was destroyed when petrol tanks in the forecourt of the building were destroyed. The question of what were her motives remains to be answered, and it is believed that she is now undergoing psychiatric evaluation within a secure unit. Media, Police, Street, Transport Large explosions rocked the Blurton area last month as a vehicular chase between Castelan officers and suspects went out of control. The resultant explosion, caused when one of Castelan’s vehicles struck a petrol pump, was heard over three miles away across the city and Fire Crews had to be called from a number of stations in order to control the blaze. Estimates on the final cost of the operation are believed to be in excess of three million pounds, although this cost may rise as insurance claims continue to be made in the wake of the incident. Still little is known about the cause of the crash, although speculation regarding the involvement of Susan Willis, the chief suspect in the “Evening Sentinel Murders”, is rife. Castelan have yet to make a statement about the incident. Police, Street, Underworld Tensions continue to rise between members of the Sandernacht Group and the Gambino family. The last months have seen an upturn in events, with the emergence of Sandernacht (long thought to be the spiritual bogeyman of the cities underworld) into the public light. Meanwhile, the Gambino’s are getting increasingly desperate, undertaking increasingly violent action in an attempt to retain control of the north of the city. Coupled with a push from the newly emerged Daughters of the Desert and the stage seems set for some kind of final showdown over the next few months. Occult, Underworld, University So who are the Daughters? Speculation is focussing on their ethnic background, which shows traces of both Jamaican and Middle-Eastern descent. Those that have been captured by Castelan have been able to shed little light on the problem either, apart from certain aspects of their operations they are much like any other street gang in the city. Of particular interest however is the type of drug they seem to be specialising in producing. A derivative of Peyote, the drug is ingested (and sold) in a liquid form, and is bought in small vials. The white liquid seems to be natural in makeup and shows no signs of chemical enhancement. It is currently being studied by chemists at the university, who are keen to place the origin of the drug. Church, Health, Legal, Police Castelan are still refusing to release the bodies of the victims of the “Evening Sentinel Murders”. Families and the churches of the twelve are considering taking legal action to ensure the release for burial over the next month. No proper reason has been given for the non-release, although the presumption is that vital physical evidence is being sought from the bodies. Meanwhile the Sentinel offices have once again re-opened properly, with only the photographic department remaining in alternative premises. Bureaucracy, Industry, Politics Investigations into the use of high quantities of lead in the manufacture of “Foreign Sale” steel continue. So far the focus of investigations is the wrongfully labelled raw materials that were appropriated by an as yet un-named union representative. Once again this has poured scorn onto the city’s unions and raised the possibility of mob involvement. Elsewhere, external government investigations are trying to trace the intended destination as it is feared that anyone willing to source such inappropriate materials may have ulterior motives for their use. Media, Police, Street, Underworld Photographic evidence of “The Samurai” continues to surface, although the quality of the images leaves a lot to be desired. So far no-one has been able to gain a clear enough facial picture for comparison with records, although with the wealth of data that is being poured into the investigation this may only is a matter of time. Meanwhile, the press continue to focus on the positive aspects of this colourful character; the drop of crime in the area in which he operates and the general feel-good factor being experienced by many of the inhabitants. The key question is once an identity has been found will it be revealed? Or are the authorities happy to have a vigilante stalking the city’s criminal elements? Health, Media, Politics, Street Is “The Samurai” really Sean Bowden? Whilst this may sound more than a little far fetched, he does apparently fit the profile being drawn up of the individual. In order to maintain his current operations, “The Samurai” must be independently wealthy, with a good knowledge of the city and its cultures. Furthermore, they must believe that the authorities, and in principle Castelan, are doing an inadequate job or that justice is not being served. All of this is just hyperbola, but given Bowden’s stance, and the potential financial backing he is getting from the Peer 19 group, his name, however improbable, must surely be on the list of suspects. Police, Transport Whilst Castelan are no longer maintaining a blockade to the north of the city, this does not mean that security operations have ceased there. Checks are now focusing on the movements of unmarked vans from the north, after a number of what were first believed to have been abandoned cars showed traces of explosive materials after forensic investigation. The question of what the Gambino’s (if they are behind it) stand to gain from such indiscriminate bombing remains to be seen, unless the intention is purely to promote fear amongst the city’s inhabitants.